Vascular endothelial cell growth factor antagonists and uses thereof

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF) antagonists and methods of using VEGF antagonists. VEGF antagonists contemplated by the invention include VEGF antibodies and VEGF receptor fusion proteins. Methods of treating edema and stroke using VEGF antagonists are also provided.

This is a continuation under 37 CFR §1.53(b) of copending U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 10/648,816, filed Aug. 26, 2003, which is acontinuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/718,694, filed Nov.21, 2000 (now abandoned), which is a divisional of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/218,481, filed Dec. 22, 1998 (now abandoned),the disclosures of which are incorporated by reference herein in theirentirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to vascular endothelial cell growth factor(VEGF) antagonists, to therapeutic compositions comprising theantagonists, and to methods of use of the antagonists for diagnostic andtherapeutic purposes. In particular, the present invention relates tomethods of treatment of stroke or edema using VEGF antagonists.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The two major cellular components of the vasculature are the endothelialand smooth muscle cells. The endothelial cells form the lining of theinner surface of all blood vessels, and constitute a nonthrombogenicinterface between blood and tissue. In addition, endothelial cells arean important component for the development of new capillaries and bloodvessels. Thus, endothelial cells proliferate during the angiogenesis, orneovascularization, associated with tumor growth and metastasis, as wellas a variety of non-neoplastic diseases or disorders.

Various naturally occurring polypeptides reportedly induce theproliferation of endothelial cells. Among those polypeptides are thebasic and acidic fibroblast growth factors (FGF), Burgess and Maciag,Annual Rev. Biochem., 58:575 (1989), platelet-derived endothelial cellgrowth factor (PD-ECGF), Ishikawa, et al., Nature, 338:557 (1989), andvascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), Leung, et al., Science246:1306 (1989); Ferrara & Henzel, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun.161:851 (1989); Tischer, et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 165:1198(1989); Ferrara, et al., PCT Pat. Pub. No. WO 90/13649 (published Nov.15, 1990).

VEGF was first identified in media conditioned by bovine pituitaryfollicular or folliculostellate cells. Biochemical analyses indicatethat bovine VEGF is a dimeric protein with an apparent molecular mass ofapproximately 45,000 Daltons, and with an apparent mitogenic specificityfor vascular endothelial cells. DNA encoding bovine VEGF was isolated byscreening a cDNA library prepared from such cells, usingoligonucleotides based on the amino-terminal amino acid sequence of theprotein as hybridization probes.

Human VEGF was obtained by first screening a cDNA library prepared fromhuman cells, using bovine VEGF cDNA as a hybridization probe. One cDNAidentified thereby encodes a 165-amino acid protein having greater than95% homology to bovine VEGF, which protein is referred to as human VEGF(hVEGF). The mitogenic activity of human VEGF was confirmed byexpressing the human VEGF cDNA in mammalian host cells. Mediaconditioned by cells transfected with the human VEGF cDNA promoted theproliferation of capillary endothelial cells, whereas control cells didnot. See, Leung, et al., Science 246:1306 (1989).

Several additional cDNAs were identified in human cDNA libraries thatencode 121-, 189-, and 206-amino acid isoforms of hVEGF (alsocollectively referred to as hVEGF-related proteins). The 121-amino acidprotein differs from hVEGF by virtue of the deletion of the 44 aminoacids between residues 116 and 159 in hVEGF. The 189-amino acid proteindiffers from hVEGF by virtue of the insertion of 24 amino acids atresidue 116 in hVEGF, and apparently is identical to human vascularpermeability factor (hVPF). The 206-amino acid protein differs fromhVEGF by virtue of an insertion of 41 amino acids at residue 116 inhVEGF. Houck, et al., Mol. Endocrin. 5:1806 (1991); Ferrara, et al., J.Cell. Biochem. 47:211 (1991); Ferrara, et al., Endocrine Reviews 13:18(1992); Keck, et al., Science 246:1309 (1989); Connolly, et al., J.Biol. Chem. 264:20017 (1989); Keck, et al., EPO Pat. Pub. No. 0 370 989(published May 30, 1990).

Receptors for VEGF have been described in the literature. Two suchreceptors, flt-1 and flk-1, have been found to mediate VEGF effects[DeVries et al., Science 255:989 (1992); Shibuya et al., Oncogene 5:519(1990); Matthews et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88:9026 (1991); Termanet al., Oncogene 6:1677 (1991); Terman et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res.Comm. 187:1579 (1992); Neufeld et al., Prog. Growth Factor Res. 5:89-97(1994); Waltenberger et al., J. Biol. Chem. 269:26988 (1994); Quinn etal., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 90:7533 (1993)], but their regulation andmechansims are not yet fully understood. Lennmyr et al., J.Neuropathology and Exp. Neurology 57:874-882 (1998). Both the flt-1 andflk-1 receptors are membrane-spanning receptors and belong to the classIII tyrosine kinase receptor family. Barleon et al., J. Cell Biochem.54:56 (1994); Neufeld et al., supra.

VEGF not only stimulates vascular endothelial cell proliferation, butalso induces angiogenesis. Angiogenesis, which involves the formation ofnew blood vessels from preexisting endothelium, is an importantcomponent of a variety of diseases and disorders including tumor growthand metastasis, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atherosclerosis,diabetic retinopathy, retrolental fibroplasia, neovascular glaucoma,age-related macular degeneration, hemangiomas, immune rejection oftransplanted corneal tissue and other tissues, and chronic inflammation.

In the case of tumor growth, angiogenesis appears to be crucial for thetransition from hyperplasia to neoplasia, and for providing nourishmentto the growing solid tumor. Folkman, et al., Nature 339:58 (1989).Angiogenesis also allows tumors to be in contact with the vascular bedof the host which may provide a route for metastasis of the tumor cells.Evidence for the role of angiogenesis in tumor metastasis is provided,for example, by studies showing a correlation between the number anddensity of microvessels in histologic sections of invasive human breastcarcinoma and actual presence of distant metastases. Weidner, et al.,New Engl. J. Med. 324:1 (1991).

VEGF has also been reported to be involved in endothelial and vascularpermeability. See, Ferrara et al., Endocrine Reviews 18:4-25 (1997);Dobrogowska et al., J. Neurocytology 27:163 (1998). Although not fullyunderstood, VEGF is believed to increase endothelial cell leakage inskin, retina, and tumor tissues. Collins et al., Brit. J. Pharmacology109:195 (1993); Connolly et al., J. Clin. Invest. 84:1470 (1989);Shweiki et al., Nature 359:843 (1992); Monacci et al., Am. J. Physiol.264:C995 (1993); Stone et al., J. Neurosci. 15:4738 (1995); Detmar etal., J. Invest. Dermatol. 108:263 (1997); Weindel et al., Neurosurgery35:437 (1994). The potential effects and role of VEGF (and itsreceptors, particularly, the flt-1 receptor), on endothelial cell andblood-brain barrier permeability have also been examined. See, e.g.,Rosenstein et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 95:7086 (1998); Dobrogowska,supra; Kovacs et al., Stroke 27:1865 (1996). Relatively diffuse VEGFmRNA expression has been observed in adult rat brain but at somewhat lowabundance. Monacci et al., Am. J. Physiol. 146:368-378 (1993). However,reduced oxygen tension has been shown to trigger VEGF expression [Dorand Keshet, Trends in Cardiovascular Med., 7:289-294 (1998)] andenhanced levels of VEGF, flt-1, and flk-1 have been shown to occur inthe rat brain following the induction of focal cerebral ischemia.Hayashi et al., Stroke 28:2039 (1997); Kovacs at al., supra; Lennmyr etal., J. Neuropathology and Experimental Neurology, 57:874 (1998). Therole of VEGF in the pathogenesis of stroke and BBB breakdown has beenunclear with contradictory experimental observations cited in theliterature. For example, Nag et al., J. Neuropathology and ExperimentalNeurology 56:912 (1997), in their cortical cold-injury rat model,demonstrated the presence of mural VEGF in permeable pial vessels andarterioles within the damaged tissue and, from this observation, it wasinferred that VEGF is one of several factors that may mediate BBBbreakdown and edema formation. On the other hand, in Hayashi et al., J.Cerebral Blood Flow and Metabolism, 18:887 (1998), it is reported thatVEGF itself, when applied topically on the surface of a reperfused ratbrain after transient cerebral artery occlusion, reduced ischemic braindamage, infarct volume and edema formation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides antagonists of VEGF, including (a)antibodies and variants thereof which are capable of specificallybinding to hVEGF, hVEGF receptor, or a complex comprising hVEGF inassociation with hVEGF receptor, (b) hVEGF receptor and variantsthereof, and (c) hVEGF variants. The antagonists inhibit, sequester orneutralize the mitogenic, angiogenic, vascular permeability or otherbiological activity of hVEGF, and thus are useful for the treatment ofdiseases or conditions characterized by undesirable excessiveneovascularization, including by way of example, tumors, and especiallysolid malignant tumors, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis,atherosclerosis, diabetic and other retinopathies, retrolentalfibroplasia, age-related macular degeneration, neovascular glaucoma,hemangiomas, thyroid hyperplasias (including Grave's disease), cornealand other tissue transplantation, and chronic inflammation. Theantagonists also are useful for the treatment of diseases or conditionssuch as edema which may be associated with, e.g., tumors, stroke, headtrauma, ascites associated with malignancies, Meigs' syndrome, lunginflammation, nephrotic syndrome, pericardial effusion (such as thatassociated with pericarditis), and pleural effusion.

In other aspects, the VEGF antagonists are polyspecific monoclonalantibodies which are capable of binding to (a) a non-hVEGF epitope, forexample, an epitope of a protein involved in thrombogenesis orthrombolysis, or a tumor cell surface antigen, or to (b) hVEGF, hVEGFreceptor, or a complex comprising hVEGF in association with hVEGFreceptor.

In still other aspects, the VEGF antagonists are conjugated with acytotoxic moiety.

In another aspect, the invention concerns isolated nucleic acidsencoding the monoclonal antibodies as hereinbefore described, andhybridoma cell lines which produce such monoclonal antibodies.

In another aspect, the invention concerns compositions, such aspharmaceutical compositions, comprising a VEGF antagonist in an amounteffective in reducing or eliminating hVEGF-mediated mitogenic,angiogenic, or other biological activity in a mammal.

In a different aspect, the invention concerns methods of treatmentcomprising administering to a mammal, preferably a human patient in needof such treatment, an effective amount of a VEGF antagonist. If desired,the VEGF antagonist is co-administered, either simultaneously orsequentially, with one or more other VEGF antagonists, anti-tumor oranti-angiogenic substances, or therapies suitable for the disease orcondition being treated.

In another aspect, the invention concerns a method for detecting hVEGFin a test sample by means of contacting the test sample with an antibodycapable of binding specifically to hVEGF and determining the extent ofsuch binding.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows the effect of anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies (A4.6.1 orB2.6.2) or an irrelevant anti-hepatocyte growth factor antibody(anti-HGF) on the binding of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies tohVEGF. 1 a shows the inhibition effects of different antibodies on thebinding of the biotinylated anti-hVEGF antibody A4.6.1 (BIO-A4.6.1); and1 b shows the inhibition effects of different antibodies on the bindingof the biotinylated anti-hVEGF antibody A4.6.1 (BIO-A4.6.1).

FIG. 2 shows the effect of anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies (A4.6.1 orB2.6.2) or an irrelevant anti-HGF antibody on the biological activity ofhVEGF in cultures of bovine adrenal cortex capillary endothelial (ACE)cells.

FIG. 3 shows the effect of anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies (A4.6.1,B2.6.2, or A2.6.1) on the binding of hVEGF to bovine ACE cells. 3 ashows the inhibition effects of different anti-hVEGF monoclonalantibodies on the binding of hVEGF to bovine ACE cells; and 3 b showsthat the monoclonal antibody produced by the A4.6.1 hybridoma inhibitedthe binding of hVEGF to the bovine ACE cells at a 1:250 molar ratio ofhVEGF to antibody.

FIG. 4 shows the effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodytreatment on the rate of growth of growth of NEG55 tumors in mice.

FIG. 5 shows the effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodytreatment on the size of NEG55 tumors in mice after five weeks oftreatment.

FIG. 6 shows the effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody (VEGFAb) treatment on the growth of SK-LMS-1 tumors in mice.

FIG. 7 shows the effect of varying doses of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonalantibody (VEGF Ab) treatment on the growth of A673 tumors in mice.

FIG. 8 shows the effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody on thegrowth and survival of NEG55 (G55) glioblastoma cells in culture.

FIG. 9 shows the effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody on thegrowth and survival of A673 rhabdomyosarcoma cells in culture.

FIG. 10 shows the effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody onhuman synovial fluid-induced chemotaxis of human endothelial cells.

FIG. 11 shows the effect of flt-IgG treatment on the extent of edematoustissue as depicted by high signal intensity on the T2-weighted MR image.

FIG. 12 shows representative T2-weighted MR images recorded 24 hoursfollowing onset of ischemia for both the control (top panel) andtreatment group (bottom panel), showing reduction in edematous tissue inthe treatment group.

FIG. 13 shows the effect of flt-IgG treatment on the size of infarctiondetermined using high resolution anatomical MRI 8-12 weeks followingonset of ischemia.

FIGS. 14A-B show an alignment of the amino acid sequences for the lightand heavy variable domains respectively of affinity matured anti-VEGFantibodies compared to the F(ab)-12 antibody (SEQ ID NO:1 shown in FIG.14A; SEQ ID NO:9 shown in FIG. 14B). CDRs are underlined and designatedby L, light, or H, heavy chains, and numbers 1-3. The affinity maturedsequences are designated YO243-1 (SEQ ID NO:2 shown in FIG. 14A; SEQ IDNO:10 shown in FIG. 14B); YO238-3 (SEQ ID NO:3 shown in FIG. 14A; SEQ IDNo:11 shown in FIG. 14B); YO313-1 (SEQ ID NO:4 shown in FIG. 14A; SEQ IDNO:12 shown in FIG. 14B); and YO317 (SEQ ID NO:5 shown in FIG. 14A; SEQID NO:13 shown in FIG. 14B). Differences from F(ab)-12 are shown inshaded boxes.

FIGS. 15A-B show an alignment of the amino acid sequences for the lightand heavy variable domains respectively of affinity matured anti-VEGFantibodies compared to the Flab)-12 antibody (SEQ ID NO:1 shown in FIGS.14A and 14B; SEQ ID NO:9 shown in FIGS. 14A and 14B). CDRs areunderlined and designated by L, light, or H, heavy chains, and numbers1-3. The affinity matured sequences are designated YO192 (SEQ ID NO:6shown in FIG. 15A; SEQ ID NO:14 shown in FIG. 15B); YO238-3 (SEQ ID NO:3shown in FIGS. 14A and 15A; SEQ ID NO:11 shown in FIGS. 14B and 15B);YO239-19 (SEQ ID NO:7 shown in FIG. 15A; SEQ ID NO:15 shown in FIG.15B); and YO313-2 (SEQ ID NO:8 shown in FIG. 15A; SEQ ID NO:16 shown inFIG. 15B). Differences from F(ab)-12 are shown in shaded boxes.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides antagonists of hVEGF which are capable ofinhibiting, sequestering, or neutralizing one or more of the biologicalactivities of hVEGF. Antagonists of hVEGF act by interfering with thebinding of hVEGF to a cellular receptor, by incapacitating or killingcells which have been activated by hVEGF, or by interfering withvascular endothelial cell activation after hVEGF binding to a cellularreceptor. All such points of intervention by an hVEGF antagonist shallbe considered equivalent for purposes of this invention. Thus, includedwithin the scope of the invention are antibodies, monoclonal antibodiesand humanized antibodies, or fragments thereof, that bind to hVEGF,hVEGF receptor, or a complex comprising hVEGF in association with hVEGFreceptor. Also included within the scope of the invention are fragmentsand amino acid sequence variants of hVEGF that bind to hVEGF receptorbut which do not exhibit a biological activity of native hVEGF. Alsoincluded within the scope of the invention are hVEGF receptor andfragments and amino acid sequence variants thereof which are capable ofbinding hVEGF.

The term “hVEGF” as used herein refers to the 165-amino acid humanvascular endothelial cell growth factor, and related 121-, 189-, and206-amino acid vascular endothelial cell growth factors, as described byLeung, et al., Science 246:1306 (1989), and Houck, et al., Mol.Endocrin. 5:1806 (1991), together with the naturally occurring allelicand processed forms of those growth factors.

The term “hVEGF receptor” or “hVEGFr” as used herein refers to acellular receptor for hVEGF, ordinarily a cell-surface receptor found onvascular endothelial cells, as well as fragments and variants thereofwhich retain the ability to bind hVEGF. Typically, the hVEGF receptorsand fragments and variants thereof that are hVEGF antagonists will be inisolated form, rather than being integrated into a cell membrane orfixed to a cell surface as may be the case in nature. One example of ahVEGF receptor is the fms-like tyrosine kinase (flt or flt-1), atransmembrane receptor in the tyrosine kinase family. DeVries, et al.,Science 255:989 (1992); Shibuya, et al., Oncogene 5:519 (1990). The fulllength flt receptor comprises an extracellular domain, a transmembranedomain, and an intracellular domain with tyrosine kinase activity. Theextracellular domain is involved in the binding of hVEGF, whereas theintracellular domain is involved in signal transduction.

Another example of a hVEGF receptor is the flk-1 receptor (also referredto as KDR). Matthews, et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 88:9026 (1991);Terman, et al., Oncogene 6:1677 (1991); Terman, et al., Biochem.Biophys. Res. Commun. 187:1579 (1992).

Binding of hVEGF to the flt receptor results in the formation of atleast two high molecular weight complexes, having apparent molecularweight of 205,000 and 300,000 Daltons. The 300,000 Dalton complex isbelieved to be a dimer comprising two receptor molecules bound to asingle molecule of hVEGF.

Variants of hVEGFr also are included within the scope hereof.Representative examples include truncated forms of a receptor in whichat least the transmembrane and cytoplasmic domains are deleted from thefull length receptor molecule, and fusions proteins in which non-hVEGFrpolymers or polypeptides are conjugated to the hVEGFr or, preferably,truncated forms thereof. An example of such a non-hVEGF polypeptide isan immunoglobulin. In that case, for example, an extracellular domainsequence of the hVEGFr is substituted for the Fv domain of animmunoglobulin light or (preferably) heavy chain, with the C-terminus ofthe receptor extracellular domain covalently joined to the aminoterminus of the CH1, hinge, CH2 or other fragment of the heavy chain.Such variants are made in the same fashion as known immunoadhesins. Seee.g., Gascoigne, et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 84:2936 (1987); Capon, etal., Nature 337:525 (1989); Aruffo, et al., Cell 61:1303 (1990);Ashkenazi, et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 88:10535 (1991); Bennett, etal., J. Biol. Chem. 266:23060 (1991). Examples of various flt-IgG fusionproteins are described in Example 3 below. Truncated forms of theextracellular domain of the hVEGF receptor contemplated for use in theinvention include ECD fragments (for instance, having one or more aminoacids in the ECD sequence deleted) and ECD forms having one or moreimmunoglobulin-like domains in the ECD deleted. Example 3B describes,for instance, a truncated ECD form which includes only the first threeimmunoglobulin-like domains of flt fused to a Fc-IgG. Preferably, atruncated form of the ECD used in making an antagonist molecule willinclude sufficient immunoglobulin-like domain(s) to ensure a desiredbinding to hVEGF.

In other embodiments, the hVEGFr or fragments or variants thereof areconjugated to a non-proteinaceous polymer such as polyethylene glycol(PEG) (see e.g., Davis, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,179,337; Goodson, etal., BioTechnology 8:343-346 (1990); Abuchowski, et al., J. Biol. Chem.252:3578 (1977); Abuchowski, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 252:3582 (1977)) orcarbohydrates (see e.g., Marshall, et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys.,167:77 (1975)). This can serve to extend the biological half-life of thehVEGFr and reduce the possibility that the receptor will be immunogenicin the mammal to which it is administered.

The hVEGFr is used in substantially the same fashion as antibodies tohVEGF, taking into account the affinity of the antagonist and itsvalency for hVEGF. An extracellular domain sequence of hVEGF receptor,either by itself or fused to an immunoglobulin polypeptide or othercarrier polypeptide, is especially useful as an antagonist of hVEGF, byvirtue of its ability to sequester hVEGF that is present in a host butthat is not bound to hVEGFr on a cell surface.

HVEGFr and fragments and variants thereof also are useful in screeningassays to identify agonists and antagonists of hVEGF. For example, hostcells transfected with DNA encoding hVEGFr (for example, flt or flk-1)overexpress the receptor polypeptide on the cell surface, making suchrecombinant host cells ideally suited for analyzing the ability of atest compound (for example, a small molecule, linear or cyclic peptide,or polypeptide) to bind to hVEGFr. hVEGFr and hVEGFr fusion proteins,such as an hVEGFr-IgG fusion protein, may be used in a similar fashion.For example, the fusion protein is bound to an immobilized support andthe ability of a test compound to displace radiolabeled hVEGF from thehVEGFr domain of the fusion protein is determined.

The term “recombinant” used in reference to hVEGF, hVEGF receptor,antibodies, or other proteins, refers to proteins that are produced byrecombinant DNA expression in a host cell. The host cell may beprokaryotic (for example, a bacterial cell such as E. coli) oreukaryotic (for example, a yeast or a mammalian cell).

Antagonist Antibodies

The term “monoclonal antibody” as used herein refers to an antibodyobtained from a population of substantially homogeneous antibodies,i.e., the individual antibodies comprising the population are identicalin specificity and affinity except for possible naturally occurringmutations that may be present in minor amounts. It should be appreciatedthat as a result of such naturally occurring mutations and the like, amonoclonal antibody composition of the invention, which willpredominantly contain antibodies capable of specifically binding hVEGF,hVEGFr, or a complex comprising hVEGF in association with hVEGFr(“hVEGF-hVEGFr complex”), may also contain minor amounts of otherantibodies.

Thus, the modifier “monoclonal” indicates the character of the antibodyas being obtained from such a substantially homogeneous population ofantibodies, and is not to be construed as requiring production of theantibody by any particular method. For example, monoclonal antibodies ofthe invention may be made using the hybridoma method first described byKohler & Milstein, Nature 256:495 (1975), or may be made by recombinantDNA methods. See, e.g., Cabilly, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,816,567.

In the hybridoma method, a mouse or other appropriate host animal isimmunized with antigen by subcutaneous, intraperitoneal, orintramuscular routes to elicit lymphocytes that produce or are capableof producing antibodies that will specifically bind to the protein(s)used for immunization. Alternatively, lymphocytes may be immunized invitro. Lymphocytes then are fused with myeloma cells using a suitablefusing agent, such as polyethylene glycol, to form a hybridoma cell.Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, pp. 59-103(Academic Press, 1986).

The antigen may be hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex. The antigenoptionally is a fragment or portion or variant of any one of hVEGF orhVEGFr having one or more amino acid residues that participate in thebinding of hVEGF to one of its receptors. For example, immunization withan extracellular domain sequence of an hVEGFr (such as, a truncatedhVEGFr polypeptide lacking at least transmembrane and intracellulardomains) will be especially useful in producing antibodies that areantagonists of hVEGF, since it is region(s) within the extracellulardomain that are involved in hVEGF binding.

Monoclonal antibodies capable of binding hVEGF-hVEGFr complex areuseful, particularly if they do not also bind to non-associated(non-complexed) hVEGF and hVEGFr. Such antibodies thus only bind tocells undergoing immediate activation by hVEGF and accordingly are notsequestered by free hVEGF or hVEGFr as is normally found in a mammal.Such antibodies typically bind an epitope that spans one or more pointsof contact between the receptor and hVEGF. Such antibodies have beenproduced for other ligand receptor complexes and may be produced here inthe same fashion. These antibodies need not, and may not, neutralize orinhibit a biological activity of non-associated hVEGF or hVEGFr, whetheror not the antibodies are capable of binding to non-associated hVEGF orhVEGFr.

The hybridoma cells thus prepared are seeded and grown in a suitableculture medium that preferably contains one or more substances thatinhibit the growth or survival of the unfused, parental myeloma cells.For example, if the parental myeloma cells lack the enzyme hypoxanthineguanine phosphoribosyl transferase (HGPRT or HPRT), the culture mediumfor the hybridomas typically will include hypoxanthine, aminopterin, andthymidine (HAT medium), which substances prevent the growth ofHGPRT-deficient cells.

Preferred myeloma cells are those that fuse efficiently, support stablehigh level expression of antibody by the selected antibody-producingcells, and are sensitive to a medium such as HAT medium. Among these,preferred myeloma cell lines are murine myeloma lines, such as thosederived from MOPC-21 and MPC-11 mouse tumors available from the SalkInstitute Cell Distribution Center, San Diego, Calif. USA, SP-2 cellsavailable from the American Type Culture Collection, Manassas, Va. USA,and P3X63Ag8U.1 cells described by Yelton, et al., Curr. Top. Microbiol.Immunol. 81:1 (1978). Human myeloma and mouse-human heteromyeloma celllines also have been described for the production of human monoclonalantibodies. Kozbor, J. Immunol. 133:3001 (1984); Brodeur, et al.,Monoclonal Antibody Production Techniques and Applications, pp. 51-63(Marcel Dekker, Inc., New York, 1987).

Culture medium in which hybridoma cells are growing is assayed forproduction of monoclonal antibodies directed against the antigen.

Preferably, the binding specificity of monoclonal antibodies produced byhybridoma cells is determined by immunoprecipitation or by an in vitrobinding assay, such as radioimmunoassay (RIA) or enzyme-linkedimmunoabsorbent assay (ELISA). The monoclonal antibodies of theinvention are those that preferentially immunoprecipitate hVEGF, hVEGFr,or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex, or that preferentially bind to at least one ofthose antigens in a binding assay, and that are capable of inhibiting abiological activity of hVEGF.

After hybridoma cells are identified that produce antagonist antibodiesof the desired specificity, affinity, and activity, the clones may besubcloned by limiting dilution procedures and grown by standard methods.Goding, Monoclonal Antibodies: Principles and Practice, pp. 59-104(Academic Press, 1986). Suitable culture media for this purpose include,for example, Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium or RPMI-1640 medium. Inaddition, the hybridoma cells may be grown in vivo as ascites tumors inan animal.

The monoclonal antibodies secreted by the subclones are suitablyseparated from the culture medium, ascites fluid, or serum byconventional immunoglobulin purification procedures such as, forexample, protein A-Sepharose, hydroxylapatite chromatography, gelelectrophoresis, dialysis, or affinity chromatography.

DNA encoding monoclonal antibodies of the invention is readily isolatedand sequenced using conventional procedures (e.g., by usingoligonucleotide probes that are capable of binding specifically to genesencoding the heavy and light chains of murine antibodies). The hybridomacells of the invention serve as a preferred source of such DNA. Onceisolated, the DNA may be placed into expression vectors, which are thentransfected into host cells such as simian COS cells, Chinese Hamsterovary (CHO) cells, or myeloma cells that do not otherwise produceimmunoglobulin protein, to obtain the synthesis of monoclonal antibodiesin the recombinant host cells.

The DNA optionally may be modified in order to change the character ofthe immunoglobulin produced by its expression. For example, humanizedforms of murine antibodies are produced by substituting acomplementarity determining region (CDR) of the murine antibody variabledomain for the corresponding region of a human antibody. In someembodiments, selected framework region (FR) amino acid residues of themurine antibody also are substituted for the corresponding amino acidresidues in the human antibody. Carter, et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci.89:4285 (1992); Carter, et al., BioTechnology 10:163 (1992). Chimericforms of murine antibodies also are produced by substituting the codingsequence for selected human heavy and light constant chain domains inplace of the homologous murine sequences. Cabilly, et al., U.S. Pat. No.4,816,567; Morrison, et al., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 81:6851 (1984).

Particular humanized antibodies contemplated for use in the presentinvention include the humanized and affinity matured anti-hVEGFantibodies described in published PCT applications WO 98/54331(published Oct. 15, 1998) and WO 98/54332 (published Oct. 15, 1998).Such humanized or affinity matured anti-VEGF antibodies may be preparedor made using the methods and techniques described in WO 98/54331 and WO98/54332. Preferably, the anti-hVEGF antibody comprises the humanizedF(ab), designated as F(ab)-12, or the affinity matured antibody,designated as YO317, in the above referenced PCT applications. FIGS.14A-B and 15A-B illustrate the amino acid sequences (light and heavychains) for these anti-VEGF antibodies, along with other affinitymatured anti-VEGF antibodies, designated as YO192; YO238-3; YO239-19;YO313-2; YO243-1; and YO313-1. All such anti-VEGF antibodies arecontemplated for use in the methods described herein. As disclosed inthese published PCT applications, several of the humanized and affinitymatured antibodies were demonstrated to reduce or inhibit VEGF activityin different types of in vitro assays, and thus act as VEGF antagonists.

The antibodies included within the scope of the invention thus includevariant antibodies, such as chimeric (including “humanized”) antibodiesand hybrid antibodies comprising immunoglobulin chains capable ofbinding hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex, and a non-hVEGF epitope.

The antibodies herein include all species of origin, and immunoglobulinclasses (e.g., IgA, IgD, IgE, IgG, and IgM) and subclasses, as well asantibody fragments (e.g., Fab, F(ab′)₂, and Fv), so long as they arecapable of binding hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex, and arecapable of antagonizing a biological activity of hVEGF.

In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the antibody will have anaffinity for the immunizing antigen of at least about 10⁹ liters/mole,as determined, for example, by the Scatchard analysis of Munson &Pollard, Anal. Biochem. 107:220 (1980). Also, the monoclonal antibodytypically will inhibit the mitogenic or angiogenic activity of hVEGF atleast about 50%, preferably greater than 80%, and most preferablygreater than 90%, as determined, for example, by an in vitro cellsurvival or proliferation assay, such as described in Example 2 or asdescribed in WO 98/54331 and WO 98/54332.

For some therapeutic and diagnostic applications, it is desirable thatthe monoclonal antibody be reactive with fewer than all of the differentmolecular forms of hVEGF. For example, it may be desirable to have amonoclonal antibody that is capable of specifically binding to the165-amino acid sequence hVEGF but not to the 121- or 189-amino acidsequence hVEGF polypeptides. Such antibodies are readily identified bycomparative ELISA assays or comparative immunoprecipitation of thedifferent hVEGF polypeptides.

Conjugates with Cytotoxic Moieties

In some embodiments it is desirable to provide a cytotoxic moietyconjugated to a hVEGF-specific monoclonal antibody or to hVEGFr. Inthese embodiments the cytotoxin serves to incapacitate or kill cellswhich are expressing or binding hVEGF or its receptor. The conjugate istargeted to the cell by the domain which is capable of binding to hVEGF,hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex. Thus, monoclonal antibodies that arecapable of binding hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex are conjugatedto cytotoxins. Similarly, hVEGFr is conjugated to a cytotoxin. While themonoclonal antibodies optimally are capable of neutralizing the activityof hVEGF alone (without the cytotoxin), it is not necessary in thisembodiment that the monoclonal antibody or receptor be capable of anymore than binding to hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex.

Typically, the cytotoxin is a protein cytotoxin, e.g. diptheria, ricinor Pseudomonas toxin, although in the case of certain classes ofimmunoglobulins the Fc domain of the monoclonal antibody itself mayserve to provide the cytotoxin (e.g., in the case of IgG2 antibodies,which are capable of fixing complement and participating inantibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC)). However, the cytotoxindoes not need to be proteinaceous and may include chemotherapeuticagents heretofore employed, for example, for the treatment of tumors.

The cytotoxin typically is linked to a monoclonal antibody or fragmentthereof by a backbone amide bond within (or in place of part or all of)the Fc domain of the antibody. Where the targeting function is suppliedby hVEGFr, the cytotoxic moiety is substituted onto any domain of thereceptor that does not participate in hVEGF binding; preferably, themoiety is substituted in place of or onto the transmembrane and orcytoplasmic domains of the receptor. The optimal site of substitutionwill be determined by routine experimentation and is well within theordinary skill.

Conjugates which are protein fusions are easily made in recombinant cellculture by expressing a gene encoding the conjugate. Alternatively, theconjugates are made by covalently crosslinking the cytotoxic moiety toan amino acid residue side chain or C-terminal carboxyl of the antibodyor the receptor, using methods known per se such as disulfide exchangeor linkage through a thioester bond using for example iminothiolate andmethyl-4-mercaptobutyrimadate.

Conjugates with Other Moieties

The monoclonal antibodies and hVEGFr that are antagonists of hVEGF alsocan also be conjugated to substances that may not be readily classifiedas cytotoxins in their own right, but which augment the activity of thecompositions herein. For example, monoclonal antibodies or hVEGFrcapable of binding to hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex are fusedwith heterologous polypeptides, such as viral sequences, with cellularreceptors, with cytokines such as TNF, interferons, or interleukins,with polypeptides having procoagulant activity, and with otherbiologically or immunologically active polypeptides. Such fusions arereadily made by recombinant methods. Typically such non-immunoglobulinpolypeptides are substituted for the constant domain(s) of an anti-hVEGFor anti-hVEGF-hVEGFr complex antibody, or for the transmembrane and/orintracellular domain of an hVEGFr. Alternatively, they are substitutedfor a variable domain of one antigen binding site of an anti-hVEGFantibody described herein.

In preferred embodiments, such non-immunoglobulin polypeptides arejoined to or substituted for the constant domains of an antibodydescribed herein. Bennett, at al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:23060-23067(1991). Alternatively, they are substituted for the Fv of an antibodyherein to create a chimeric polyvalent antibody comprising at least oneremaining antigen binding site having specificity for hVEGF, hVEGFr, ora hVEGF-hVEGFr complex, and a surrogate antigen binding site having afunction or specificity distinct from that of the starting antibody.

Heterospecific Antibodies

Monoclonal antibodies capable of binding to hVEGF, hVEGFr, orhVEGF-hVEGFr complex need only contain a single binding site for theenumerated epitopes, typically a single heavy-light chain complex orfragment thereof. However, such antibodies optionally also bear antigenbinding domains that are capable of binding an epitope not found withinany one of hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hvEGF-hVEGFr complex. For example,substituting the corresponding amino acid sequence or amino acidresidues of a native anti-hVEGF, anti-HVEGFr, or anti-hVEGF-hVEGFrcomplex antibody with the complementarity-determining and, if necessary,framework residues of an antibody having specificity for an antigenother than hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex will create apolyspecific antibody comprising one antigen binding site havingspecificity for hVEGF, hVEGFr, or hVEGF-hVEGFr complex, and anotherantigen binding site having specificity for the non-hVEGF, hVEGFr, orhVEGF-hVEGFr complex antigen. These antibodies are at least bivalent,but may be polyvalent, depending upon the number of antigen bindingsites possessed by the antibody class chosen. For example, antibodies ofthe IgM class will be polyvalent.

In preferred embodiments of the invention such antibodies are capable ofbinding an hVEGF or hVEGFr epitope and either (a) a polypeptide activein blood coagulation, such as protein C or tissue factor, (b) acytotoxic protein such as tumor necrosis factor (TNF), or (c) anon-hVEGFr cell surface receptor, such as CD4, or HER-2 receptor(Maddon, et al., Cell 42:93 (1985); Coussens, et al., Science 230:1137(1985)). Heterospecific, multivalent antibodies are conveniently made bycotransforming a host cell with DNA encoding the heavy and light chainsof both antibodies and thereafter recovering, by immunoaffinitychromatography or the like, the proportion of expressed antibodieshaving the desired antigen binding properties. Alternatively, suchantibodies are made by in vitro recombination of monospecificantibodies.

Monovalent Antibodies

Monovalent antibodies capable of binding to hVEGFr or hVEGF-hVEGFrcomplex are especially useful as antagonists of hVEGF. Without limitingthe invention to any particular mechanism of biological activity, it isbelieved that activation of cellular hVEGF receptors proceeds by amechanism wherein the binding of hVEGF to cellular hVEGF receptorsinduces aggregation of the receptors, and in turn activatesintracellular receptor kinase activity. Because monovalent anti-hVEGFreceptor antibodies cannot induce such aggregation, and therefore cannotactivate hVEGF receptor by that mechanism, they are ideal antagonists ofhVEGF.

It should be noted, however, that these antibodies should be directedagainst the hVEGF binding site of the receptor or should otherwise becapable of interfering with hVEGF binding to the receptor hVEGF, such asby sterically hindering hVEGF access to the receptor. As describedelsewhere herein, however, anti-hVEGFr antibodies that are not capableof interfering with hVEGF binding are useful when conjugated tonon-immunoglobulin moieties, for example, cytotoxins.

Methods for preparing monovalent antibodies are well known in the art.For example, one method involves recombinant expression ofimmunoglobulin light chain and modified heavy chain. The heavy chain istruncated generally at any point in the Fc region so as to prevent heavychain crosslinking. Alternatively, the relevant cysteine residues aresubstituted with another amino acid residue or are deleted so as toprevent crosslinking. In vitro methods are also suitable for preparingmonovalent antibodies. For example, Fab fragments are prepared byenzymatic cleavage of intact antibody.

Diagnostic Uses

For diagnostic applications, the antibodies or hVEGFr of the inventiontypically will be labeled with a detectable moiety. The detectablemoiety can be any one which is capable of producing, either directly orindirectly, a detectable signal. For example, the detectable moiety maybe a radioisotope, such as ³H, ¹⁴C, ³²P, ³⁵S, or ¹²⁵I, a fluorescent orchemiluminescent compound, such as fluorescein isothiocyanate,rhodamine, or luciferin; radioactive isotopic labels, such as, e.g.,¹²⁵I, ³²P, ¹⁴C, or ³H, or an enzyme, such as alkaline phosphatase,beta-galactosidase or horseradish peroxidase.

Any method known in the art for separately conjugating the antibody orhVEGFr to the detectable moiety may be employed, including those methodsdescribed by Hunter, et al., Nature 144:945 (1962); David, et al.,Biochemistry 13:1014 (1974); Pain, et al., J. Immunol. Meth. 40:219(1981); and Nygren, J. Histochem. and Cytochem. 30:407 (1982). Theantibodies and receptors of the present invention may be employed in anyknown assay method, such as competitive binding assays, direct andindirect sandwich assays, and immunoprecipitation assays. Zola,Monoclonal Antibodies: A Manual of Techniques, pp. 147-158 (CRC Press,Inc., 1987).

Competitive binding assays rely on the ability of a labeled standard(which may be hVEGF or an immunologically reactive portion thereof) tocompete with the test sample analyte (hVEGF) for binding with a limitedamount of antibody. The amount of hVEGF in the test sample is inverselyproportional to the amount of standard that becomes bound to theantibodies or receptors. To facilitate determining the amount ofstandard that becomes bound, the antibodies or receptors generally areinsolubilized before or after the competition, so that the standard andanalyte that are bound to the antibodies or receptors may convenientlybe separated from the standard and analyte which remain unbound.

Sandwich assays involve the use of two antibodies or receptors, eachcapable of binding to a different immunogenic portion, or epitope, ofthe protein to be detected. In a sandwich assay, the test sample analyteis bound by a first antibody or receptor which is immobilized on a solidsupport, and thereafter a second antibody binds to the analyte, thusforming an insoluble three part complex. David & Greene, U.S. Pat. No.4,376,110. The second antibody or receptor may itself be labeled with adetectable moiety (direct sandwich assays) or may be measured using ananti-immunoglobulin antibody that is labeled with a detectable moiety(indirect sandwich assay). For example, one type of sandwich assay is anELISA assay, in which case the detectable moiety is an enzyme.

The antibodies or receptor herein also is useful for in vivo imaging,wherein an antibody or hVEGFr labeled with a detectable moiety isadministered to a patient, preferably into the bloodstream, and thepresence and location of the labeled antibody or receptor in the patientis assayed. This imaging technique is useful, for example, in thestaging and treatment of neoplasms. The antibody or hVEGFr is labeledwith any moiety that is detectable in a mammal, whether by nuclearmagnetic resonance, radiology, or other detection means known in theart.

Antagonist Variants of hVEGF

In addition to the antibodies described herein, other useful antagonistsof hVEGF include fragments and amino acid sequence variants of nativehVEGF that bind to hVEGF receptor but that do not exhibit the biologicalactivity of native hVEGF. For example, such antagonists includefragments and amino acid sequence variants that comprise a receptorbinding domain of hVEGF, but that lack a domain conferring biologicalactivity, or that otherwise are defective in activating cellular hVEGFreceptors, such as in the case of a fragment or an amino acid sequencevariant that is deficient in its ability to induce aggregation oractivation of cellular hVEGF receptors. The term “receptor bindingdomain” refers to the amino acid sequences in hVEGF that are involved inhVEGF receptor binding. The term “biological activity domain” or “domainconferring biological activity” refers to an amino acid sequence inhVEGF that confer a particular biological activity of the factor, suchas mitogenic, angiogenic, or vascular permeability activity.

The observation that hVEGF appears to be capable of forming a complexwith two or more hVEGFr molecules on the surface of a cell suggests thathVEGF has at least two discrete sites for binding to hVEGFr and that itbinds to such cellular receptors in sequential fashion, first at onesite and then at the other before activation occurs, in the fashion ofgrowth hormone, prolactin and the like (see e.g., Cunningham, et al.,Science 254:821 (1991); deVos, et al., Science 255:306 (1992); Fuh, etal., Science 256:1677 (1992)). Accordingly, antagonist variants of hVEGFare selected in which one receptor binding site of hVEGF (typically thesite involved in the initial binding of hVEGF to hVEGFr) remainsunmodified (or if modified is varied to enhance binding), while a secondreceptor binding site of hVEGF typically is modified by nonconservativeamino acid residue substitution(s) or deletion(s) in order to renderthat binding site inoperative.

Receptor binding domains in hVEGF and hVEGF binding domains in hVEGFrare determined by methods known in the art, including X-ray studies,mutational analyses, and antibody binding studies. The mutationalapproaches include the techniques of random saturation mutagenesiscoupled with selection of escape mutants, and insertional mutagenesis.Another strategy suitable for identifying receptor-binding domains inligands is known as alanine (Ala)-scanning mutagenesis. Cunningham, etal., Science 244, 1081-1985 (1989). This method involves theidentification of regions that contain charged amino acid side chains.The charged residues in each region identified (i.e. Arg, Asp, His, Lys,and Glu) are replaced (one region per mutant molecule) with Ala and thereceptor binding of the obtained ligands is tested, to assess theimportance of the particular region in receptor binding. A furtherpowerful method for the localization of receptor binding domains isthrough the use of neutralizing anti-hVEGF antibodies. Kim, et al.,Growth Factors 7:53 (1992). Usually a combination of these and similarmethods is used for localizing the domains involved in receptor binding.

The term “amino acid sequence variant” used in reference to hVEGF refersto polypeptides having amino acid sequences that differ to some extentfrom the amino acid sequences of the native forms of hVEGF. Ordinarily,antagonist amino acid sequence variants will possess at least about 70%homology with at least one receptor binding domain of a native hVEGF,and preferably, they will be at least about 80%, more preferably atleast about 90% homologous with a receptor binding domain of a nativehVEGF. The amino acid sequence variants possess substitutions,deletions, and/or insertions at certain positions within the amino acidsequence of native hVEGF, such that the variants retain the ability tobind to hVEGF receptor (and thus compete with native hVEGF for bindingto hVEGF receptor) but fail to induce one or more of the biologicaleffects of hVEGF, such as endothelial cell proliferation, angiogenesis,or vascular permeability.

“Homology” is defined as the percentage of residues in the amino acidsequence variant that are identical with the residues in the amino acidsequence of a receptor binding domain of a native hVEGF after aligningthe sequences and introducing gaps, if necessary, to achieve the maximumpercent homology and not considering any conservative substitutions aspart of the percentage of amino acid homology. Methods and computerprograms for the alignment are well known in the art. One such computerprogram is “Align 2”, authored by Genentech, Inc., which was filed withuser documentation in the United States Copyright Office, Washington,D.C. 20559, on Dec. 10, 1991. Those skilled in the art can determine,using routine skill, appropriate parameters for measuring alignment,including any algorithms needed to achieve maximal alignment over thelength of the sequences being compared.

Substitutional variants are those that have at least one amino acidresidue in a native sequence removed and a different amino acid insertedin its place at the same position. The substitutions may be single,where only one amino acid in the molecule has been substituted, or theymay be multiple, where two or more amino acids have been substituted inthe same molecule.

Insertional variants are those with one or more amino acids insertedimmediately adjacent to an amino acid at a particular position in anative sequence. Immediately adjacent to an amino acid means connectedto either the α-carboxy or α-amino functional group of the amino acid.

Deletional variants are those with one or more amino acid residues in anative sequence removed. Ordinarily, deletional variants will have oneor two amino acid residues deleted in a particular region of themolecule.

Fragments and amino acid sequence variants of hVEGF are readily preparedby methods known in the art, such as by site directed mutagenesis of theDNA encoding the native factor. The mutated DNA is inserted into anappropriate expression vector, and host cells are then transfected withthe recombinant vector. The recombinant host cells and grown in suitableculture medium, and the desired fragment or amino acid sequence variantexpressed in the host cells then is recovered from the recombinant cellculture by chromatographic or other purification methods.

Alternatively, fragments and amino acid variants of hVEGF are preparedin vitro, for example by proteolysis of native hVEGF, or by synthesisusing standard solid-phase peptide synthesis procedures as described byMerrifield (J. Am. Chem. Soc. 85:2149 (1963)), although other equivalentchemical syntheses known in the art may be used. Solid-phase synthesisis initiated from the C-terminus of the peptide by coupling a protectedα-amino acid to a suitable resin. The amino acids are coupled to thepeptide chain using techniques well known in the art for the formationof peptide bonds.

Therapeutic Uses

The terms “treating”, “treatment”, “therapy” and “therapeutic” as usedherein refer to curative therapy, prophylactic therapy and preventativetherapy.

For therapeutic applications, the antagonists of the invention areadministered to a mammal, preferably a human, in an acceptable dosageform, including those that may be administered to a human intravenouslyas a bolus or by continuous infusion over a period of time, byintramuscular, intraperitoneal, intra-cerebrospinal, subcutaneous,intra-articular, intrasynovial, intradural, intrathecal, oral, topical,or inhalation routes. The antagonists also are suitably administered byintratumoral, peritumoral, intralesional, or perilesional routes, toexert local as well as systemic therapeutic effects. The intraperitonealroute is expected to be particularly useful, for example, in thetreatment of ovarian tumors. Intravenous infusion is expected to beparticularly useful for instance, in the treatment of cerebral edema.

Such dosage forms encompass carriers that are inherently nontoxic andnontherapeutic. Examples of such carriers include ion exchangers,alumina, aluminum stearate, lecithin, serum proteins, such as humanserum albumin, buffer substances such as phosphates, glycine, sorbicacid, potassium sorbate, partial glyceride mixtures of saturatedvegetable fatty acids, water, salts, or electrolytes such as protaminesulfate, disodium hydrogen phosphate, potassium hydrogen phosphate,sodium chloride, zinc salts, colloidal silica, magnesium trisilicate,polyvinyl pyrrolidone, cellulose-based substances, and polyethyleneglycol. Carriers for topical or gel-based forms of antagonist includepolysaccharides such as sodium carboxymethylcellulose ormethylcellulose, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylates,polyoxyethylene-polyoxypropylene-block polymers, polyethylene glycol,and wood wax alcohols. Conventional depot forms can be suitably used.Such forms include, for example, microcapsules, nano-capsules,liposomes, plasters, inhalation forms, nose sprays, sublingual tablets,and sustained-release preparations. The antagonist will typically beformulated in such vehicles at a concentration of about 0.1 mg/ml to 100mg/ml.

Suitable examples of sustained release preparations includesemipermeable matrices of solid hydrophobic polymers containing theantagonist, which matrices are in the form of shaped articles, e.g.films, or microcapsules. Examples of sustained-release matrices includepolyesters, hydrogels (for example, poly(2-hydroxyethyl-methacrylate) asdescribed by Langer et al., J. Biomed. Mater. Res. 15:167 (1981) andLanger, Chem. Tech., 12: 98-105 (1982), or poly(vinylalcohol),polylactides (U.S. Pat. No. 3,773,919), copolymers of L-glutamic acidand gamma ethyl-L-glutamate (Sidman et al., Biopolymers, 22:547 (1983),non-degradable ethylene-vinyl acetate (Langer et al., supra), degradablelactic acid-glycolic acid copolymers such as the Lupron Depot™(injectable micropheres composed of lactic acid-glycolic acid copolymerand leuprolide acetate), and poly-D-(−)-3-hydroxybutyric acid. Whilepolymers such as ethylene-vinyl acetate and lactic acid-glycolic acidenable release of molecules for over 100 days, certain hydrogels releaseproteins for shorter time periods. When encapsulated polypeptideantagonists remain in the body for a long time, they may denature oraggregate as a result of exposure to moisture at 37° C., resulting in aloss of biological activity and possible changes in immunogenicity.Rational strategies can be devised for stabilization depending on themechanism involved. For example, if the aggregation mechanism isdiscovered to be intermolecular S—S bond formation throughthio-disulfide interchange, stabilization may be achieved by modifyingsulfhydryl residues, lyophilizing from acidic solutions, controllingmoisture content, using appropriate additives, and developing specificpolymer matrix compositions.

Sustained-release hVEGF antagonist compositions also include liposomallyentrapped antagonist antibodies or hVEGFr. Liposomes containing theantagonists are prepared by methods known in the art, such as describedin Epstein, et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 82:3688 (1985); Hwang,et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, 77:4030 (1980); U.S. Pat. No.4,485,045; U.S. Pat. No. 4,544,545. Ordinarily the liposomes are thesmall (about 200-800 Angstroms) unilamelar type in which the lipidcontent is greater than about 30 mol. % cholesterol, the selectedproportion being adjusted for the optimal HRG therapy. Liposomes withenhanced circulation time are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,013,556.

Another use of the present invention comprises incorporating an hVEGFantagonist into formed articles. Such articles can be used, forinstance, in modulating endothelial cell growth and angiogenesis. Inaddition, tumor invasion and metastasis may be modulated with thesearticles.

An appropriate and effective dosage of antagonist will depend on thetype of disease or condition to be treated, as defined herein, theseverity and course of the disease or condition, whether the antagonistsare administered for preventive or therapeutic purposes, previoustherapy, the patient's clinical history and response to the antagonist,and the discretion of the attending physician. An effective dosage ofantagonist will typically be that amount of antagonist administered toachieve the maximal of desired amount of inhibition of VEGF biologicalactivity. The antagonist is suitably administered to the patient at onetime or over a series of treatments.

The hVEGF antagonists are useful in the treatment of various neoplasticand non-neoplastic diseases and conditions. Neoplasms and relatedconditions that are amenable to treatment include breast carcinomas,lung carcinomas, gastric carcinomas, esophageal carcinomas, colorectalcarcinomas, liver carcinomas, ovarian carcinomas, thecomas,arrhenoblastomas, cervical carcinomas, endometrial carcinoma,endometrial hyperplasia, endometriosis, fibrosarcomas, choriocarcinoma,head and neck cancer, nasopharyngeal carcinoma, laryngeal carcinomas,hepatoblastoma, Kaposi's sarcoma, melanoma, skin carcinomas, hemangioma,cavernous hemangioma, hemangioblastoma, pancreas carcinomas,retinoblastoma, astrocytoma, glioblastoma, Schwannoma,oligodendroglioma, medulloblastoma, neuroblastomas, rhabdomyosarcoma,osteogenic sarcoma, leiomyosarcomas, urinary tract carcinomas, thyroidcarcinomas, Wilm's tumor, renal cell carcinoma, prostate carcinoma,abnormal vascular proliferation associated with phakomatoses, and Meigs'syndrome.

In one embodiment, vascularization of tumors is attacked in combinationtherapy. One or more hVEGF antagonists are administered to tumor-bearingpatients at therapeutically effective doses as determined for example byobserving necrosis of the tumor or its metastatic foci, if any. Thistherapy is continued until such time as no further beneficial effect isobserved or clinical examination shows no trace of the tumor or anymetastatic foci. Other auxiliary agents such as tumor necrosis factor(TNF), alpha-, beta-, or gamma-interferon, anti-HER2 antibody,heregulin, anti-heregulin antibody, D-factor, interleukin-1 (IL-1),interleukin-2 (IL-2), granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor(GM-CSF), or agents that promote microvascular coagulation in tumors,such as anti-protein C antibody, anti-protein S antibody, or C4b bindingprotein (see Esmon, et al., PCT Patent Publication No. WO 91/01753,published 21 Feb. 1991), or heat or radiation.

Since the auxiliary agents will vary in their effectiveness it isdesirable to compare their impact on the tumor by matrix screening inconventional fashion. The administration of hVEGF antagonist and, forinstance, TNF, can be repeated until the desired clinical effect isachieved. Alternatively, the hVEGF antagonist(s) can be administeredtogether with TNF and, optionally, auxiliary agent(s). In instanceswhere solid tumors are found in the limbs or in other locationssusceptible to isolation from the general circulation, the therapeuticagents described herein are administered to the isolated tumor or organ.In other embodiments, a FGF or platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)antagonist, such as an anti-FGF or an anti-PDGF neutralizing antibody,is administered to the patient in conjunction with the hVEGF antagonist.Treatment with hVEGF antagonists optimally may be suspended duringperiods of wound healing or desirable neovascularization.

Non-neoplastic conditions that are amenable to treatment includerheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, atherosclerosis, diabetic and otherretinopathies, retrolental fibroplasia, neovascular glaucoma,age-related macular degeneration, thyroid hyperplasias (includingGrave's disease), corneal and other tissue transplantation, chronicinflammation, lung inflammation, nephrotic syndrome, preeclampsia,ascites, pericardial effusion (such as that associated withpericarditis), and pleural effusion.

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of severevisual loss in the elderly population. The exudative form of AMD ischaracterized by choroidal neovascularization and retinal pigmentepithelial cell detachment. Because choroidal neovascularization isassociated with a dramatic worsening in prognosis, the VEGF antagonistsof the present invention are expected to be especially useful inreducing the severity of AMD.

Other conditions that are amendable to treatment include edema. Herein,the term “edema” is used in a general sense and includes conditions inthe body or accompanying stroke or head injury characterized by anincrease in the extravascular tissue water content, either due toincreased free extracellular water alone, or in combination withincreased intracellular water. The edema may be present in varioustissues in the body. In particular, it is contemplated that the hVEGFantagonists may be employed to treat central nervous system (CNS) edema,including cerebral edema, typically characterized by an increase inbrain volume, as well as spinal cord or spinal canal edema or otherconditions leading to increased intracranial pressure (such as localspinal cord injury). Increase in brain volume can be, for instance, theresult of increased cerebral blood volume and/or increased tissue watercontent. The term “edema” used herein includes the pathologicalconditions referred to in the art as vasogenic edema and cytotoxicedema. Typically, the condition referred to as vasogenic edema has beencharacterized as being associated with the disruption of the blood-brainbarrier (BBB) while cytotoxic edema has been characterized as beingassociated with an intact BBB. Cerebral edema is described generally inthe review article, Hariri, Neurosurgical Intensive Care 5:687 (1994).

Edema in a mammal may result from or accompany a variety of pathologicalconditions or stimuli, including but not limited to, acute hypertension,meningitis, encephalitis, abscess, neoplastic diseases (such asdescribed above) (particularly solid tumors), trauma (such as headinjury), hemorrhage, viral infection, cerebral malaria, stroke,radiation, multiple sclerosis, post cardiac arrest, birth asphyxia,glutamate toxicity, encephalopathy, hypoxia, ischemia and renaldialysis.

In particular, the invention contemplates therapy using the hVEGFantagonists to treat cerebral edema, including cerebral edemaaccompanying neoplasm(s) in the brain and cerebral edema accompanyingstroke. In mammals having a neoplasm(s) in brain tissue, it is commonfor the mammal to develop or experience cerebral edema. It iscontemplated that the hVEGF antagonists of the present invention can beadministered, alone or in combination with other therapies, likechemotherapy or radiation therapy administered to treat the brainneoplasm, to reduce or inhibit such edema in the brain.

It is also common for mammals having or having undergone stroke todevelop or experience cerebral edema. The term stroke in the presentapplication is used in a general sense and includes the clinicalconditions known to the skilled practitioner as ischemic stroke andhemorrhagic stroke. It is recognized within the art that stroke in apatient may be characterized or classified as various particular typesof stroke, depending for instance, upon the etiology or pathology of theinterruption of blood flow, the types of cells or tissues affected, andthe presence of blood extravasation into tissue (such as brain tissue).The different types of stroke that have been clinically characterizedinclude but are not limited to, thrombotic stroke, embolic stroke,hemodynamic stroke, lacunar stroke, and hemorrhagic strokes derived orresulting from intracerebral, subarachnoid, intraventricular, orsubdural hemorrhage. The skilled medical practitioner will readilyappreciate and understand the nature of such stroke conditions, and beable to detect and diagnosis the presence or symptoms of such conditionsin patients. The present inventive methods contemplate that the hVEGFantagonist molecules can be used in the treatment of all such strokeconditions, particularly to reduce or inhibit edema and protect againstcell and tissue damage. The hVEGF antagonists can be administered as anacute treatment following stroke onset to reduce or inhibit forinstance, cerebral edema, thereby enhancing the mammal's recovery fromthe stroke. The use of the hVEGF antagonists are beneficial in that thetreatment may prevent or avoid having to perform surgery (like acraniotomy) on the mammal to reduce or alleviate intracranial pressuredue to excess water accumulation in brain tissues. It is alsocontemplated that upon reduction or prevention of such edema by thehVEGF antagonists, there will be a reduction (i.e., protective effect)in the amount of brain and neuronal tissue that can typically be damagedby intracranial pressure and edema.

Depending on the type and severity of the disease or condition beingtreated, about 1 μg/kg to 15 mg/kg of antagonist is an initial candidatedosage for administration to the patient, whether, for example, by oneor more separate administrations, or by continuous infusion. A typicaldaily dosage might range from about 1 μg/kg to 100 mg/kg or more,depending on the factors mentioned above. For repeated administrationsover several days or longer, depending on the condition, the treatmentis repeated until a desired suppression of disease symptoms occurs.However, other dosage regimens may be useful. For instance, in themethods of treating cerebral edema or stroke, it may be desirable toadminister the hVEGF antagonist(s) immediately upon detection ordiagnosis in the patient, within several hours of injury or onset ofstroke, or within 1 to 4 days thereafter. The desired administrationprotocol will typically be within the discretion of the medicalpractitioner. The progress of the hVEGF antagonist therapy is easilymonitored by conventional techniques and assays, including, for example,radiographic techniques (in particular, magnetic resonance imaging, MRI)for neoplastic conditions and edema formation associated with trauma orstroke, or monitoring intracranial pressure for cerebral edema.

According to another embodiment of the invention, the effectiveness ofthe antagonist in preventing or treating a condition or disease may beimproved by administering the antagonist serially or in combination withanother agent that is effective for those purposes, such as tumornecrosis factor (TNF), an antibody capable of inhibiting or neutralizingthe angiogenic activity of acidic or basic fibroblast growth factor(FGF) or hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), an antibody capable ofinhibiting or neutralizing the coagulant activities of tissue factor,protein C, or protein S (see Esmon, et al., PCT Patent Publication No.WO 91/01753, published 21 Feb. 1991), an antibody capable of binding toHER2 receptor (see Hudziak, et al., PCT Patent Publication No. WO89/06692, published 27 Jul. 1989), or one or more conventionaltherapeutic agents such as, for example, alkylating agents, folic acidantagonists, anti-metabolites of nucleic acid metabolism, antibiotics,pyrimidine analogs, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin, purine nucleosides,amines, amino acids, triazol nucleosides, or corticosteroids. Such otheragents may be present in the composition being administered or may beadministered separately. Particularly in the treatment of edema orstroke, the antagonist may be administered serially or in combinationwith agents such as antiviral, antifungal or antiparasitic agents,antibiotics, thrombolytic agents (such as t-PA), osmotic therapy agents(e.g., mannitol), or steroids (like Decadron or prednisone). Use of suchagents in combination with the antagonist will be within the ordinaryskill of the medical practitioner, and of course, selection of suchagents would depend, for instance, on the disease or condition beingtreated.

In a further method of treatment provided in the present application, itis contemplated that the hVEGF antagonist may be administered seriallywith hVEGF, particularly in the treatment of stroke. Upon diagnosis ordetection of stroke, the hVEGF antagonist may be administeredimmediately or within approximately 1 to 4 days after onset of thestroke. It is believed that following completion of the administrationof the antagonist to reduce or inhibit edema formation, it may bebeneficial to administer to the patient an amount of hVEGF sufficient tostimulate or promote re-vascularization. Preferably, the hVEGF would bea recombinant form of hVEGF and would be administered in apharmaceutically-acceptable carrier.

Other Uses

The anti-hVEGF antibodies of the invention also are useful as affinitypurification agents. In this process, the antibodies against hVEGF areimmobilized on a suitable support, such a Sephadex resin or filterpaper, using methods well known in the art. The immobilized antibodythen is contacted with a sample containing the hVEGF to be purified, andthereafter the support is washed with a suitable solvent that willremove substantially all the material in the sample except the hVEGF,which is bound to the immobilized antibody. Finally, the support iswashed with another suitable solvent, such as glycine buffer, pH 5.0,that will release the hVEGF from the antibody.

The following examples are offered by way of illustration only and arenot intended to limit the invention in any manner. All patent andliterature citations in the specification are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety.

EXAMPLES

Commercially available reagents referred to in the examples were usedaccording to manufacturer's instructions unless otherwise indicated. Thesource of those cells identified in the following examples, andthroughout the specification, by ATCC accession numbers is the AmericanType Culture Collection, Manassas, Va.

Example 1 Preparation of Anti-hVEGF Monoclonal Antibodies

To obtain hVEGF conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) forimmunization, recombinant hVEGF (165 amino acids), Leung, et al.,Science 246:1306 (1989), was mixed with KLH at a 4:1 ratio in thepresence of 0.05% glutaraldehyde and the mixture was incubated at roomtemperature for 3 hours with gentle stirring. The mixture then wasdialyzed against phosphate buffered saline (PBS) at 4° C. overnight.

Balb/c mice were immunized four times every two weeks by intraperitonealinjections with 5 μg of hVEGF conjugated to 20 μg of KLH, and wereboosted with the same dose of hVEGF conjugated to KLH four days prior tocell fusion.

Spleen cells from the immunized mice were fused with P3X63Ag8U.1 myelomacells, Yelton, et al., Curr. Top. Microbiol. Immunol. 81:1 (1978), using35% polyethylene glycol (PEG) as described. Yarmush, et al., Proc. Nat.Acad. Sci. 77:2899 (1980). Hybridomas were selected in HAT medium.

Supernatants from hybridoma cell cultures were screened for anti-hVEGFantibody production by an ELISA assay using hVEGF-coated microtiterplates. Antibody that was bound to hVEGF in each of the wells wasdetermined using alkaline phosphatase-conjugated goat anti-mouse IgGimmunoglobulin and the chromogenic substrate p-nitrophenyl phosphate.Harlow & Lane, Antibodies: A Laboratory Manual, p. 597 (Cold SpringHarbor Laboratory, 1988). Hybridoma cells thus determined to produceanti-hVEGF antibodies were subcloned by limiting dilution, and two ofthose clones, designated A4.6.1 and B2.6.2, were chosen for furtherstudies.

Example 2

Characterization of Anti-hVEGF Monoclonal Antibodies

A. Antigen Specificity

The binding specificities of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodiesproduced by the A4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas were determined by ELISA.The monoclonal antibodies were added to the wells of microtiter platesthat previously had been coated with hVEGF, FGF, HGF, or epidermalgrowth factor (EGF). Bound antibody was detected with peroxidaseconjugated goat anti-mouse IgG immunoglobulins. The results of thoseassays confirmed that the monoclonal antibodies produced by the A4.6.1and B2.6.2 hybridomas bind to hVEGF, but not detectably to those otherprotein growth factors.

B. Epitope Mapping

A competitive binding ELISA was used to determine whether the monoclonalantibodies produced by the A4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas bind to the sameor different epitopes (sites) within hVEGF. Kim, et al., Infect. Immun.57:944 (1989). Individual unlabeled anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies(A4.6.1 or B2.6.2) or irrelevant anti-HGF antibody (IgG1 isotype) wereadded to the wells of microtiter plates that previously had been coatedwith hVEGF. Biotinylated anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies (BIO-A4.6.1 orBIO-B2.6.2) were then added. The ratio of biotinylated antibody tounlabeled antibody was 1:1000. Binding of the biotinylated antibodieswas visualized by the addition of avidin-conjugated peroxidase, followedby o-phenylenediamine dihydrochloride and hydrogen peroxide. The colorreaction, indicating the amount of biotinylated antibody bound, wasdetermined by measuring the optical density (O.D) at 495 nm wavelength.

As shown in FIG. 1, in each case, the binding of the biotinylatedanti-hVEGF antibody was inhibited by the corresponding unlabeledantibody, but not by the other unlabeled anti-hVEGF antibody or theanti-HGF antibody. These results indicate that the monoclonal antibodiesproduced by the A4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas bind to different epitopeswithin hVEGF.

C. Isotyping

The isotypes of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies produced by theA4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas were determined by ELISA. Samples ofculture medium (supernatant) in which each of the hybridomas was growingwere added to the wells of microtiter plates that had previously beencoated with hVEGF. The captured anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies wereincubated with different isotype-specific alkalinephosphatase-conjugated goat anti-mouse immunoglobulins, and the bindingof the conjugated antibodies to the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies wasdetermined by the addition of p-nitrophenyl phosphate. The colorreaction was measured at 405 nm with an ELISA plate reader.

By that method, the isotype of the monoclonal antibodies produced byboth the A4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas was determined to be IgG1.

D Binding Affinity

The affinities of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies produced by theA4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas for hVEGF were determined by a competitivebinding assays. A predetermined sub-optimal concentration of monoclonalantibody was added to samples containing 20,000-40,000 cpm ¹²⁵I-hVEGF(1-2 ng) and various known amounts of unlabeled hVEGF (1-1000 ng). After1 hour at room temperature, 100 μl of goat anti-mouse Ig antisera(Pel-Freez, Rogers, Ark. USA) were added, and the mixtures wereincubated another hour at room temperature. Complexes of antibody andbound protein (immune complexes) were precipitated by the addition of500 μl of 6% polyethylene glycol (PEG, mol. wt. 8000) at 4° C., followedby centrifugation at 2000×G. for 20 min. at 4° C. The amount of¹²⁵I-hVEGF bound to the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody in each samplewas determined by counting the pelleted material in a gamma counter.

Affinity constants were calculated from the data by Scatchard analysis.The affinity of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody produced by theA4.6.1 hybridoma was calculated to be 1.2×10⁹ liters/mole. The affinityof the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody produced by the B2.6.2 hybridomawas calculated to be 2.5×10⁹ liters/mole.

E. Inhibition of hVEGF Mitogenic Activity

Bovine adrenal cortex capillary endothelial (ACE) cells, Ferrara, etal., Proc. Nat. Acad. Sci. 84:5773 (1987), were seeded at a density of10⁴ cells/ml in 12 multiwell plates, and 2.5 ng/ml hVEGF was added toeach well in the presence or absence of various concentrations of theanti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodies produced by the A4.6.1 or B2.6.2hybridomas, or an irrelevant anti-HGF monoclonal antibody. Afterculturing 5 days, the cells in each well were counted in a Coultercounter. As a control, ACE cells were cultured in the absence of addedhVEGF.

As shown in FIG. 2, both of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodiesinhibited the ability of the added hVEGF to support the growth orsurvival of the bovine ACE cells. The monoclonal antibody produced bythe A4.6.1 hybridoma completely inhibited the mitogenic activity ofhVEGF (greater than about 90% inhibition), whereas the monoclonalantibody produced by the B2.6.2 hybridoma only partially inhibited themitogenic activity of hVEGF.

F. Inhibition of hVEGF Binding

Bovine ACE cells were seeded at a density of 2.5×10⁴ cells/0.5 ml/wellin 24 well microtiter plates in Dulbecco's Modified Eagle's Medium(DMEM) containing 10% calf serum, 2 mM glutamine, and 1 ng/ml basicfibroblast growth factor. After culturing overnight, the cells werewashed once in binding buffer (equal volumes of DMEM and F12 medium plus25 mM HEPES and 1% bovine serum albumin) at 4° C.

12,000 cpm ¹²⁵I-hVEGF (approx. 5×10⁴ cpm/ng/ml) was preincubated for 30minutes with 5 μg of the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody produced by theA4.6.1, B2.6.2, or A2.6.1 hybridoma (250 μl total volume), andthereafter the mixtures were added to the bovine ACE cells in themicrotiter plates. After incubating the cells for 3 hours at 4° C., thecells were washed 3 times with binding buffer at 4° C., solubilized bythe addition of 0.5 ml 0.2 N. NaOH, and counted in a gamma counter.

As shown in FIG. 3 (upper), the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodiesproduced by the A4.6.1 and B2.6.2 hybridomas inhibited the binding ofhVEGF to the bovine ACE cells. In contrast, the anti-hVEGF monoclonalantibody produced by the A2.6.1 hybridoma had no apparent effect on thebinding of hVEGF to the bovine ACE cells. Consistent with the resultsobtained in the cell proliferation assay described above, the monoclonalantibody produced by the A4.6.1 hybridoma inhibited the binding of hVEGFto a greater extent than the monoclonal antibody produced by the B2.6.2hybridoma.

As shown in FIG. 3 (lower), the monoclonal antibody produced by theA4.6.1 hybridoma completely inhibited the binding of hVEGF to the bovineACE cells at a 1:250 molar ratio of hVEGF to antibody.

G. Cross-Reactivity with Other VEGF Isoforms

To determine whether the anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody produced by theA4.6.1 hybridoma is reactive with the 121- and 189-amino acid forms ofhVEGF, the antibody was assayed for its ability to immunoprecipitatethose polypeptides.

Human 293 cells were transfected with vectors comprising the nucleotidecoding sequence of the 121- and 189-amino acid hVEGF polypeptides, asdescribed. Leung, et al., Science 246:1306 (1989). Two days aftertransfection, the cells were transferred to medium lacking cysteine andmethionine. The cells were incubated 30 minutes in that medium, then 100μCi/ml of each ³⁵S-methionine and ³⁵S-cysteine were added to the medium,and the cells were incubated another two hours. The labeling was chasedby transferring the cells to serum free medium and incubating threehours. The cell culture media were collected, and the cells were lysedby incubating for 30 minutes in lysis buffer (150 mM NaCl, 1% NP40, 0.5%deoxycholate, 0.1% sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS), 50 mM Tris, pH 8.0).Cell debris was removed from the lysates by centrifugation at 200×G. for30 minutes.

500 μl samples of cell culture media and cell lysates were incubatedwith 2 μl of A4.6.1 hybridoma antibody (2.4 mg/ml) for 1 hour at 4° C.,and then were incubated with 5 μl of rabbit anti-mouse IgGimmunoglobulin for 1 hour at 4° C. Immune complexes of ³⁵S-labeled hVEGFand anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody were precipitated with protein-ASepharose (Pharmacia), then subjected to SDS-12% polyacrylamide gelelectrophoresis under reducing conditions. The gel was exposed to x-rayfilm for analysis of the immunoprecipitated, radiolabeled proteins byautoradiography.

The results of that analysis indicated that the anti-hVEGF monoclonalantibody produced by the A4.6.1 hybridoma was cross-reactive with boththe 121- and 189-amino acid forms of hVEGF.

Example 3 Preparation of VEGF Receptor-IgG Fusion Proteins A

The nucleotide and amino acid coding sequences of the fit hVEGF receptorare disclosed in Shibuya, at al., Oncogene 5:519-524 (1990). The codingsequence of the entire extracellular domain of the fit hVEGF receptorwas fused to the coding sequence of human IgG1 heavy chain in a two-stepprocess.

Site-directed mutagenesis was used to introduce a BstBI restriction intoDNA encoding flt at a site 5′ to the codon for amino acid 759 of flt,and to convert the unique BstEII restriction site in plasmid pBSSK⁻FC,Bennett, et al., J. Biol. Chem. 266:23060-23067 (1991), to a BstBI site.The modified plasmid was digested with EcoRI and BstBI and the resultinglarge fragment of plasmid DNA was ligated together with an EcoRI-BstBIfragment of the fit DNA encoding the extracellular domain (amino acids1-758) of the flt hVEGF receptor.

The resulting construct was digested with ClaI and NotI to generate anapproximately 3.3 kb fragment, which is then inserted into the multiplecloning site of the mammalian expression vector pHEBO2 (Leung, et al.,Neuron 8:1045 (1992)) by ligation. The ends of 3.3. kb fragment aremodified, for example, by the addition of linkers, to obtain insertionof the fragment into the vector in the correct orientation forexpression.

Mammalian host cells (for example, CEN4 cells (Leung, et al. supra) aretransfected with the pHEBO2 plasmid containing the fit insert byelectroporation. Transfected cells are cultured in medium containingabout 10% fetal bovine serum, 2 mM glutamine, and antibiotics, and atabout 75% confluency are transferred to serum free medium. Medium isconditioned for 3-4 days prior to collection, and the flt-IgG fusionprotein is purified from the conditioned medium by chromatography on aprotein-A affinity matrix essentially as described in Bennett, et al.,J. Biol. Chem. 266:23060-23067 (1991).

B

A human flt-IgG (referred to as hflt(1-3)-IgG) cDNA was constructed asdescribed in Davis-Smyth et al., EMBO J. 15:4919-4927 (1996). Thistruncated receptor form included only the first threeimmunoglobulin-like domains of human flt fused to a Fc-IgG. See Ferraraet al., Nature Medicine 4:336 (1998).

A murine flt-IgG (referred to as mflt(1-3)-IgG) was constructed by PCRamplification of mouse 17-day embryo cDNA (Clontech, Palo Alto, Calif.)using primers described in Ferrara et al., supra. The design of the 3′PCR primer ensured that the expression of the mflt-1(1-3) was in framewith a murine IgG2b Fc clone. The resulting 1-kb fragment was firstcloned into a TA cloning vector (Invitrogen, San Diego, Calif.) as aClaI-BstEII fragment. This fragment was ligated to the 5′ end of murineIgG2b Fc in a pRK vector. This plasmid enabled the expression ofmflt(1-3)-IgG fusion protein when transfected into mammalian cells.

For expression in CHO cells, the cDNAs were subcloned into a dicistronicvector that links the expression of the marker dihydrofolate reductaseto the expression of the flt derived fusion protein. See, Lucas et al.,Nucleic Acid Res. 24:1774-1779 (1996). Plasmids were introduced intoDP12 cells, a derivative of the CHO-K1DUXB11 cell line developed by L.Chasin (Columbia University, New York) via lipofection and selected forgrowth in glycine-hypoxanthine-thymidine (G-H-T)-free medium. Chisholmet al., DNA Cloning 4: A Practical Approach, Mammalian Systems (eds.Glover & Hames) pp. 1-39 (Oxford Press, 1995). Clones from the firstround of selection were subsequently plated at increasing concentrationsof methotrexate. Clones were then screened for production by ELISA forthe human or murine Fc. Clones that displayed the highest productionwere adapted to suspension culture, and serum-free cultures wereharvested and purified by protein A-Sepharose. Protein concentrationswere determined by amino acid analysis. The endotoxin content of thefinal purified material did not exceed 0.5 eu/mg.

As described in Ferrara et al., supra, both the murine flt(1-3)-IgGfusion protein and the human flt(1-3)-IgG fusion protein were active ininhibiting bioactivity of VEGF in the tested rodent model.

Example 4 Inhibition of Tumor Growth with hVEGF Antagonists

Various human tumor cell lines growing in culture were assayed forproduction of hVEGF by ELISA. Ovary, lung, colon, gastric, breast, andbrain tumor cell lines were found to produce hVEGF. Three cell linesthat produced hVEGF, NEG 55 (also referred to as G55) (human glioma cellline obtained from Dr. M. Westphal, Department of Neurosurgery,University Hospital Eppendor, Hamburg, Germany, also referred to asG55), A-673 (human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line obtained from the AmericanType Culture Collection (ATCC), as cell line number CRL 1598), andSK-LMS-1 (leiomyosarcoma cell line obtained from the ATCC as cell linenumber HTB 88), were used for further studies.

Six to ten week old female Beige/nude mice (Charles River Laboratory,Wilmington, Mass. USA) were injected subcutaneously with 1-5×10⁶ tumorcells in 100-200 μl PBS. At various times after tumor growth wasestablished, mice were injected intraperitoneally once or twice per weekwith various doses of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody, anirrelevant anti-gp120 monoclonal antibody (5B6), or PBS. Tumor size wasmeasured every week, and at the conclusion of the study the tumors wereexcised and weighed.

The effect of various amounts of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibodyon the growth of NEG 55 tumors in mice is shown in FIGS. 4 and 5. FIG. 4shows that mice treated with 25 μg or 100 μg of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGFmonoclonal antibody beginning one week after inoculation of NEG 55 cellshad a substantially reduced rate of tumor growth as compared to micetreated with either irrelevant antibody or PBS. FIG. 5 shows that fiveweeks after inoculation of the NEG 55 cells, the size of the tumors inmice treated with A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody was about 50% (in the caseof mice treated with 25 μg dosages of the antibody) to 85% (in the caseof mice treated with 100 μg dosages of the antibody) less than the sizeof tumors in mice treated with irrelevant antibody or PBS.

The effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody treatment on thegrowth of SK-LMS-1 tumors in mice is shown in FIG. 6. Five weeks afterinnoculation of the SK-LMS-1 cells, the average size of tumors in micetreated with the A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody was about 75% less than thesize of tumors in mice treated with irrelevant antibody or PBS.

The effect of A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF monoclonal antibody treatment on thegrowth of A673 tumors in mice is shown in FIG. 7. Four weeks afterinnoculation of the A673 cells, the average size of tumors in micetreated with A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody was about 60% (in the case ofmice treated with 10 μg dosages of the antibody) to greater than 90% (inthe case of mice treated with 50-400 μg dosages of the antibody) lessthan the size of tumors in mice treated with irrelevant antibody or PBS.

Example 5 Analysis of the Direct Effect of Anti-hVEGF Antibody on TumorCells Growing in Culture

NEG55 human glioblastoma cells or A673 rhabdomyosarcoma cells wereseeded at a density of 7×10³ cells/well in multiwells plates (12wells/plate) in F12/DMEM medium containing 10% fetal calf serum, 2 mMglutamine, and antibiotics. A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody then was added tothe cell cultures to a final concentration of 0-20.0 μg antibody/ml.After five days, the cells growing in the wells were dissociated byexposure to trypsin and counted in a Coulter counter.

FIGS. 8 and 9 show the results of those studies. As is apparent, theA4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody did not have any significant effect on thegrowth of the NEG55 or A673 cells in culture. These results indicatethat the A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody is not cytotoxic, and stronglysuggest that the observed anti-tumor effects of the antibody are due toits inhibition of VEGF-mediated neovascularization.

Example 6 Effect of Anti-hVEGF Antibody on Endothelial Cell Chemotaxis

Chemotaxis of endothelial cells and others cells, including monocytesand lymphocytes, play an important role in the pathogenesis ofrheumatoid arthritis. Endothelial cell migration and proliferationaccompany the angiogenesis that occurs in the rheumatoid synovium.Vascularized tissue (pannus) invades and destroys the articularcartilage.

To determine whether hVEGF antagonists interfere with this process, weassayed the effect of the A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody on endothelial cellchemotaxis stimulated by synovial fluid from patients having rheumatoidarthritis. As a control, we also assayed the effect of the A4.6.1anti-hVEGF antibody on endothelial cell chemotaxis stimulated bysynovial fluid from patients having osteoarthritis (the angiogenesisthat occurs in rheumatoid arthritis does not occur in osteoarthritis).

Endothelial cell chemotaxis was assayed using modified Boyden chambersaccording to established procedures. Thompson, et al., Cancer Res.51:2670 (1991); Phillips, et al., Proc. Exp. Biol. Med. 197:458 (1991).About 10⁴ human umbilical vein endothelial cells were allowed to adhereto gelatin-coated filters (0.8 micron pore size) in 48-well multiwellmicrochambers in culture medium containing 0.1% fetal bovine serum.After about two hours, the chambers were inverted and test samples(rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid, osteoarthritis synovial fluid,basic FGF (bFGF) (to a final concentration of 1 μg/ml), or PBS) andA4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody (to a final concentration of 10 μg/ml) wereadded to the wells. After two to four hours, cells that had migratedwere stained and counted.

FIG. 10 shows the averaged results of those studies. The values shown inthe column labeled “Syn. Fluid” and shown at the bottom of the page forthe controls are the average number of endothelial cells that migratedin the presence of synovial fluid, bFGF, or PBS alone. The values in thecolumn labeled “Syn. Fluid+mAB VEGF” are the average number ofendothelial cells that migrated in the presence of synovial fluid plusadded A4.6.1 anti-hVEGF antibody. The values in the column labeled “%Suppression” indicate the percentage reduction in synovial fluid-inducedendothelial cell migration resulting from the addition of anti-hVEGFantibody. As indicated, the anti-hVEGF antibody significantly inhibitedthe ability of rheumatoid arthritis synovial fluid (53.40 averagepercentage inhibition), but not osteoarthritis synovial fluid (13.64average percentage inhibition), to induce endothelial cell migration.

Example 7 Effect of VEGF Antagonist on Cerebral Edema

An in vivo assay was conducted to determine the effects of a flt-IgGantagonist on cerebral edema. Loss of BBB integrity and the formation ofcerebral edema often occurs in the pathogenesis of cerebral infarction.It is believed that breakdown of the BBB in ischemic stroke occurspredominantly after the first 24 hours of stroke onset. Further, it isbelieved that the beneficial effects of prompt and adequate restorationof blood flow following an acute ischemic event may be undermined byreperfusion injury to the cerebral microvasculature comprising the BBB,contributing to the formation of cerebral edema. Klatzo et al. Eds.,Brain Edema, Tokyo, Springer (1984), pp. 1-5. The in vivo assaydescribed below was designed to reflect these aspects of the clinicalcondition.

Focal cortical ischemia was induced in mouse brain by the occlusion ofthe middle cerebral artery (MCA) using the techniques previouslydescribed by Chen et al., Stroke 17:738-743 (1986). The mice (C57BL-6J;18-25 grams) were anesthetized with 1.5% isoflurane in oxygen. The rightMCA was exposed via a craniotomy and ligated with a 11-0 suture. Theipsilateral common carotid artery was also occluded for the ischemicperiod. The vessels remained occluded for 45 minutes. Prior to surgery,the animals were randomly divided into two groups and either murineflt-IgG (as described in Example 3B above; also described in Ferrara etal., Nature Medicine 4:336 (1998)) or an irrelevant control murineanti-GP120 antibody belonging to the same isotype as the Fc in theflt-IgG [Ferrara et al., supra] was administered intraperitoneally at adose of 10 mg/kg at 12 hours prior to surgery, at the time ofreperfusion and again at 1 and 2 days following surgery. The degree ofedema formation was assessed by T2 weighted MR imaging 24 hoursfollowing the onset of ischemia. The eventual size of the infarction wasassessed 8-12 weeks later using high resolution anatomical MRI. A subsetof animals (n=12) were taken for verification of infarction size usingconventional histology techniques.

As shown in FIG. 11, administration of flt-Ig caused a significantreduction in the volume of cerebral edema as defined by the region ofhyperintensity on the T2-weighted MRI scan acquired 1 day followingonset of ischemia (27% reduction, p=0.01 Student's t-test, n=15 and 16in control and treatment groups, respectively). RepresentativeT2-weighted MR images showing the appearance of cortical edema as aregion of high signal intensity compared to the contralateral side isshown in FIG. 12. In this model, progression of ischemic damage leads toloss of cortical tissue and cavitation. The ultimate infarction volumecan, therefore, be estimated from high resolution anatomical images bydelineating the amount of unaffected cortex and comparing it to thecontralateral hemisphere. As shown in FIG. 13, the size of the corticalinfarction is significantly reduced by the administration of flt-IgGmeasured 8-12 weeks later (26% reduction in infarct size, p=0.009Student's t-test, n=11 and 14 in control and treatment groups,respectively). There was a good correlation between the infarct volumemeasured by MRI and that determined using conventional histology(R²=0.633). Accordingly, the treated animals exhibited a reduction indevelopment of cerebral edema, which may further provide enhancedneuroprotection. These results indicate that inhibition of thebiological activity of VEGF can reduce ischemic-reperfusion relatedbrain edema and injury.

1. A method of treating a mammal having edema comprising administeringto said mammal an effective amount of hVEGF antagonist, wherein saidhVEGF antagonist comprises an hVEGF receptor fusion protein.
 2. Themethod of claim 1 wherein said edema comprises cerebral edema. 3.-11.(canceled)
 12. The method of claim 1 wherein said hVEGF receptor fusionprotein comprises an extracellular domain sequence of a hVEGF receptorfused to an immunoglobulin.
 13. The method of claim 12 wherein saidhVEGF receptor fusion protein comprises a flt-IgG fusion protein.
 14. Amethod of treating a mammal having or having undergone a stroke,comprising administering to said mammal an effective amount of hVEGFantagonist, wherein said hVEGF antagonist comprises an hVEGF receptorfusion protein. 15.-19. (canceled)
 20. The method of claim 14 whereinsaid hVEGF receptor fusion protein comprises an extracellular domainsequence of a hVEGF receptor fused to an immunoglobulin.
 21. The methodof claim 20 wherein said hVEGF receptor fusion protein comprises aflt-IgG fusion protein. 22.-29. (canceled)
 30. A method of reducingcerebral edema due to a non-neoplastic condition in a mammal, comprisingadministering to said mammal a hVEGF antagonist in an amount effectiveto reduce the volume of cerebral edema, wherein said hVEGF antagonistcomprises an hVEGF receptor fusion protein.
 31. The method of claim 30,wherein the non-neoplastic condition comprises head injury, spinal cordinjury, acute hypertension, meningitis, encephalitis, abscess,hemorrhage, viral infection, cerebral malaria, radiation, multiplesclerosis, cardiac arrest, birth asphyxia, glutamate toxicity,encephalopathy, hypoxia, ischemia, or renal dialysis. 32.-36. (canceled)37. The method of claim 30, wherein said hVEGF receptor fusion proteincomprises an extracellular domain sequence of a hVEGF receptor fused toan immunoglobulin.
 38. The method of claim 37, wherein the hVEGFreceptor fusion protein comprises a flt-IgG fusion protein.
 39. Themethod of claim 1 wherein the hVEGF receptor fusion protein comprises atruncated form of an hVEGF receptor.
 40. The method of claim 39 whereinthe transmembrane and the cytoplasmic domains of a hVEGF receptor arenot present in the truncated form of the hVEGF receptor.
 41. The methodof claim 1 wherein the hVEGF receptor fusion protein comprises a hVEGFreceptor or fragment thereof conjugated to a non-hVEGF receptor polymeror polypeptide.
 42. The method of claim 41 wherein non-hVEGF receptorpolymer or polypeptide is an immunoglobulin or fragment thereof.
 43. Themethod of claim 42 wherein the fragment of the immunoglobulin comprisesan Fv domain, a CH1 domain, a CH2 domain, or a hinge region between theCH1 and CH2 domains.
 44. The method of claim 43 wherein the Fv domain islocated in an extracellular domain of the hVEGF fusion protein.
 45. Themethod of claim 43 wherein the N-terminus of the CH1 domain, CH2 domain,or hinge region between the CH1 and CH2 domains is covalently joined tothe C-terminus of an extracellular domain of the VEGF receptor fusionprotein.